Cirrhosis: What You Need to Know to Prevent Liver Damage

Get the facts so you can prevent

or slow liver damage.
The liver carries out many important jobs for the body. It processes
what you eat and drink into energy and nutrients your body can use.
The liver also removes harmful substances from your blood.

The liver may be damaged by diseases that continue for a long period One out of every 10 Americans is
of time. As the liver is injured repeatedly, its healing response produces affected by liver disease. However,
scar tissue. Cirrhosis is the term for advanced scarring of the liver. it’s estimated that number could be
As cirrhosis progresses, more and more scar tissue forms, making it much higher as many cases of liver
difficult for the liver to do its job.3 disease are undiagnosed.

CAUSES OF CIRRHOSIS3 TYPES OF CIRRHOSIS4 TREATING CIRRHOSIS5

• Alcohol
• Hepatitis B, C and D
• Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
(NASH)
• Liver diseases caused by an
abnormality in the immune
system, such as primary sclerosing
cholangitis (PSC), primary biliary
cirrhosis (PBC) and autoimmune
hepatitis
• Genetic diseases, such as
Wilson’s disease, hemochromatosis,
glycogen storage diseases and
alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
• Compensated:
the liver is heavily scarred
but can still perform its job
• Decompensated:
the liver is severely scarred
and unable to do its job
properly, this is considered
“advanced” cirrhosis
Treatment options for cirrhosis
vary depending on the cause and
the level of liver damage. Goals of
treatment include:
• Prevent further liver damage
• Protect remaining healthy tissue
• Treat symptoms of cirrhosis
• Treat complications of high
blood pressure
• Reduce risk of liver cancer
• Detect liver cancer at an early,
treatable stage
• Prevent or delay the need for
a liver transplant

Monitoring Cirrhosis
If you’re living with a liver disease, your doctor will monitor you for CHILD-TURCOTTE-PUGH SCORE
evidence of cirrhosis. If you have cirrhosis, your doctor may use
a scoring system to assess its severity and stage of progression. Assigns a score of A, B, and C
A score = B and C scores =
One such tool is the Child-Turcotte-Pugh Score, which is named
compensated decompensated cirrhosis with
after the physicians who developed it, and assigns points for: 6 cirrhosis progressive worsening
• Levels of bilirubin and albumin in the blood
• How efficiently the body is able to clot blood
• Build-up of fluid in the abdomen (stomach)
• Impairment of mental function (such as confusion, cloudy or foggy brain,
and disorientation)
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Cirrhosis: Learn more at LiverFoundation.org/cirrhosis

The MELD Score is used to tell how urgently a liver transplant is

needed.4 The score is based on the results of blood tests that measure:
• Kidney function
• Levels of bilirubin in the blood
• How efficiently the body is able to clot blood
• How efficiently the body is able to regulate fluid
MELD SCORE
Additional tools can be used to confirm a diagnosis of cirrhosis and MELD stands for Model Liver for
evaluate progression7, including: End-stage Liver Disease, and scores
• Imaging tests such as a fibroscan, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) range from 6 to 40. A higher MELD
or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) score indicates a more urgent need for
• Liver biopsy (less common method) liver transplantation.

What can I do if I have cirrhosis?

Depending on the severity of your condition, your doctor may suggest certain
lifestyle changes to reduce further liver damage.1

Eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly Stop drinking alcohol

Limit sodium in your diet (table salt and Discuss with your doctor the safety of all
other forms of sodium) medications, vitamins and supplements
you take

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR:

Talk with your doctor if you have questions about cirrhosis.
• What is the severity of my cirrhosis? What is my • What potential complications or symptoms should I expect?
Child-Turcotte-Pugh score and MELD score? • Do any of my current medications cause liver damage? Am
• What steps should I take to prevent further progression I receiving the correct dose?
of cirrhosis? • What vaccinations should I consider to avoid further
• How will you assess/monitor my liver health moving forward? liver damage?
• What lifestyle changes and alterations to my diet should • What routine labs and scans should I have to assess my risk
I make? of developing liver cancer?

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References
1. American Liver Foundation. “Cirrhosis of the Liver.” Retrieved from: https://www.liverfoundation.org/for-patients/
about-the-liver/diseases-of-the-liver/cirrhosis/. Accessed January 28, 2018.
2. American Liver Foundation. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Retrieved from: https://liverfoundation.org/
for-patients/about-the-liver/the-progression-of-liver-disease/frequently-asked-questions/#1504366267416-f5d-
b8a99-419f. Accessed May 23, 2018.
3. Mayo Clinic, “Cirrhosis.” Retrieved from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cirrhosis/symp-
toms-causes/syc-20351487. Accessed January 28, 2018.
4. HCV Advocate. “What is Cirrhosis?” Retrieved from: http://hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheets_pdf/cirrhosis.pdf.
Accessed January 27, 2018.
5. American Liver Foundation. “Liver Transplant.” Retrieved from: https://www.liverfoundation.org/for-patients/
about-the-liver/the-progression-of-liver-disease/liver-transplant/#1503515290793-cfca044b-fd7e/. Accessed
January 31, 2018.
6. Wolters Kluwer Health. “Child–Pugh Versus MELD Score for the Assessment of Prognosis in Liver Cirrhosis.”
Retrieved from: https://journals.lww.com/md-journal/Fulltext/2016/02230/Child_Pugh_Versus_MELD_Score_
for_the_Assessment_of.39.aspx. Accessed February 1, 2018.
7. The National Center for Biotechnology. “Prediction of liver cirrhosis, using diagnostic imaging tools.” Retrieved
from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4539400/. Accessed February 14, 2018.